A renovation project at Pleasant Playground could be complete within a year.

Vernon Price, an East Mt. Airy Neighbors (EMAN) board member who works in the city District Attorney's office, said at an EMAN meeting Tuesday that the project is moving along smoothly.

Funding has already been approved. Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller's office secured $1 million, while state Sen. LeAnna Washington was able to get another $1 million. State Rep. Cherelle Parker secured $500,000, and a matching grant allowed another $500,000 to be put toward the project.

The structure of the playground will be made larger. It will be extended to Chew Avenue—as of now, it doesn't come up that far.

Price said the group that has been working on the project has also put in a request to have the nearby Chew Transmission Center at 6747 Chew Ave. condemned.

"That will be part of the footprint of the playground," Price said.

That news received a positive response from others at the meeting, many of whom are ready to see the building that housed the car repair center be torn down.

Price said the project should be complete about one year from now.

It will include improvements to the recreation center in the park. A spray park will also be put in.

Officials are hopeful that they will eventually be able to start a Phase 2 in the project. That would include a new gymnasium and would probably cost about $2 million.